Liberal vs. Conservative Media - The Wrong Argument

Media bias is an elusive yet omnipresent force in our culture. It can be very difficult to study biases across such a vast cultural landscape as ours--how does one determine if the media has, for example, a liberal bias? Some studies show that it does (usually ones conducted by conservatives) while others show that it doesn't (ones conducted by liberals). I argue that people see what they want to see, and if you're a conservative looking to pick a fight, you will contend that the media has a liberal bias, because that's all you can see. Have you ever noticed that when you buy a car, all of a sudden you see that same make and model all over the roads? When something is brought to the forefront of your consciousness, it will become your focus.

I feel less concerned about the liberal/conservative argument because there are heavyweights from both corners that share the limelight. (Keith Olbermann vs. Bill O'Reilly. Jon Stewart vs. Rush Limbaugh. Arianna Huffington vs. Ann Coulter.) Areas of greater concern are those where any particular group is underrepresented in the media. Chapter 14 in our text highlights a few of these groups: gays, minorities, and women (especially in the sports community). We have to pay special attention to any bias where the representation is not equal.

Since entirely eradicating bias is impossible, journalists must do the best they can to minimize any bias of which they are aware. Additionally, getting a variety of different voice heard will be one of the best ways to present as fair a picture as can be expected. As one of the journalists from our text notes, "diverse staffs gives newsrooms a 'great toolbox of reference'" (p. 286).